Number of flats goes down by 15 in Powai

This year’s Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery has fewer homes compared to the last few years, but this hasn’t stopped MHADA from reducing the number further. A recent notice by MHADA states that the number of homes has been reduced from 1,259 to 1,244. The reduction of homes is in code 299 and 300 and both areas are in Powai and include the middle income and higher income groups.

MHADA has cut flats from Powai for this year’s lottery, bringing the number of homes on offer down to 1,244. Pic for representation

The flip-flop in MHADA’s numbers game is after the authority had already come out with an advertisement for the homes. The Tunga, Powai flats are priced at Rs 48.86 lakh for a MIG flat and Rs 75.22 lakh for the HIG flats. The deduction in number of flats are as follows: Three flats from the Scheduled Caste and Tribes, two flats from the state government and central government quota, one each from the artist and the armed forces quota and eight from the general public quota.

According to D K Jagdale, the deputy officer of MHADA’s Mumbai board, the calculation of flats had gone wrong and the moment they realised the mistake they corrected it. “Even the refuge area was counted, that’s why the numbers had gone up. However, we corrected the mistake as soon as we discovered it,” said Jagdale.

MHADA had come up with a clause a few days ago stating that they can’t be held responsible for providing a home, providing electricity and water. It stated in its clause that it is the responsibility of the planning authority and there could be delays in the same.

In 2012, MHADA had given 2,593 homes in the lottery. In 2011 the number of homes in the lottery was 4,034. Before this year’s lottery announcement MHADA had planned to provide nearly 3,600 homes from which they slashed nearly 2,500 homes under the Konkan board. The area where number of flats was reduced was in the Vasai-Virar belt.